Who we are

Basic Income Canada Network is a voluntary, non-profit, non-partisan organization that originated in 2008 in affiliation with Basic Income Earth Network at the international level. BICN is composed of people interested in basic income issues and who come from many walks of life. We include people who are struggling to meet basic needs and those who are financially well-off. We include researchers, activists, policy analysts, professionals, business people and other people of diverse backgrounds, interests and skills. We respect that everyone brings different talent, viewpoints and experience to the basic income conversation and that the input of all is valuable.

Basic Income Canada Network is governed and led by a volunteer board of directors, and also benefits from an advisory council of people working on basic income across the country.

What we stand for

Basic Income Canada Network promotes informed, constructive public dialogue leading to a basic income guarantee in Canada. We believe principles including universality, non-conditionality, security, autonomy, dignity, and economic and gender equality should guide basic income dialogue and design. We encourage the development of options for consideration by Canadians; BICN does not collectively endorse any particular model or design.

What we do

Basic Income Canada Network does four interrelated things:

Network: We connect individuals, institutions and groups, from local to international, to build a more effective network of people whose commitment, expertise and action can make a difference.

Raise awareness:Through our website, social and mainstream media, presentations and conversations of all kinds, we provide information to raise awareness about basic income and why it’s needed. We strive to build support to make a basic income guarantee (BIG) a reality in Canada.

Policy design: Some network members focus on detailed issues that affect the design of a BIG, work that can often be complex and technical. Through research, analysis and debate, they add to the development of workable policy options for consideration by Canadians.

Learn and share: We convene and participate in local, national and international conferences, workshops and other events where theory, research, advocacy and politics come together. Such events promote new knowledge and enable mutual learning, sharing, strategizing and expanded networking across a wide variety of people and perspectives. BICN hosted the 15th International Congress of the Basic Income Earth Network in Montreal in 2014. North American Basic Income Guarantee conferences are held annually, alternately in Canada and the United States, jointly organized by BICN and its American counterpart.

Funding

Basic Income Canada Network is funded from membership fees, donations, event registration fees, sponsorships and in-kind support. In order to maintain maximum freedom for public policy advocacy, we do not have charitable status and therefore do not provide tax receipts: read our Open Letter to Canadians on advocacy and charitable status.